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Origin and history

The Priory of Saint-Louis-de-la-Rougemare was founded in 1675 by Priory Élisabeth Colbert, who transferred the establishment from Rue Cauchoise to Place de la Rougemare, on the site of an old palm game. Renamed Saint-Louis-de-la-Ville to distinguish it from the homonymous seminary, its construction was financed by the sale of the old buildings and supported by Jacques-Nicolas Colbert. The chapel, dedicated to the Trinity, was erected by architect Charles Chamois, engineer of King Louis XIV, and blessed in 1683 by the Abbé de Fieux, vicar of the archbishop.

In 1742 the priory was reunited with the Benedictine Crepines of the convent Saint-Hilaire, under the direction of their superior, Madame Heiss. Closed during the Revolution, the premises were occupied by a gendarmerie, then the chapel served as a place of worship for the insermented priests (1795) before being converted into a store, a school, and even a municipal road depot (1895–1930). Threatened by demolition in 1894, it was saved by the concerts of organist Albert Dupré and restored between 1930 and 1935. Ranked a historic monument in 1957, it became a gymnasium before becoming a theatre in 1991, dedicated to regional companies.

Among the outstanding priories were Marie Gobelin (died 1681), Élisabeth Colbert — niece of Louis XIV's minister — and Marie de Grieu, known for raising the future Madame de Staal-Delaunay. The architecture of the chapel, attributed to Charles Chamois, reflects the classicism of the reign of Louis XIV, while its history illustrates the religious and political upheavals of Normandy, from the Ancien Régime to the Revolution. Today, the site combines heritage and culture, perpetuating a public vocation initiated in the eighteenth century.

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